Wednesday, April 30, 2014

YOU CAN'T MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW'S EAR

Talk to certain conical lawyer type friends of mine and they
get their ecclesial underwear in a bunch if you start talking about getting
somebody an annulment.

“No such thing!It’s misleading!”

Their point is that “granting someone an annulment” sounds a
little bit too much like the Church was able to take something both licit and
valid and magically turn it into something that never existed.This is something that the Church has no
ability to do and why they make such a big fuss in the nullity process.

“A better way of putting it is that a person is applying for
a declaration of nullity.”

What’s the difference you ask?The first case sounds a bit more like the
Church granting something beyond its power.The second case is closer to the truth of the Church recognizing
something that, in reality, exists.That
is why whatever it is that may be grounds for a decree of nullity must be
present, in some fashion, from the beginning of the marriage.There was a significant defect in the vows
that prevented the union from being what it should be.In a decree of nullity the Church merely
recognizes what exists (or, in the case, does not exist.)

It is the same thing with saints.The Church does not “make” saints.It recognizes saints.And the saints that it recognizes are
certainly not the only saints that there are.I think my Mom might be a saint but that does not seem to have a
universal significance.This does not
lessen the achievement.We are all
called to be saints.But some saints
continue to have a universal (or at least national) pull on our spiritual life.

So some of these are brought to the attention of the Church
who scrutinizes them mercilessly.It is
the reason the Church looks for miracles.You and I know God does not need saints in order to grant miracles.But it is a great mercy of God that He allows
it to happen.In allowing a favor
through, let’s say, Saint John Paul II, God accomplishes several things: shows
that we are one body in Christ with Christ as the head, that life does indeed
continue, and that here was a life worth living that now shares in the glory of
God and you should imitate it.It is at
this point the Church feels safe in recognizing the person as an official
saint, but it does not “make” them a saint.

3 comments:

I almost replied to your comment below your April 15 post in which you said, "The Church does, in fact, recognize the invalidity of truly abusive marriages."

That didn't make much sense to me, because it is my understanding that the validity of a marriage only depends on the conditions at the time of the marriage itself. If the abuse does not occur until after the reality of a valid marriage, as tragic as that is, it doesn't nullify a valid marriage, does it? (Of course the Church would still say that abuse is a legitimate reason for separation so that spouses and children can be safe from moral and spiritual harm. )

M of S: It is not that simple of an answer, which is why there is an anulment process. For example: is there any evidence that this was at least a mentality of the offending person before marriage well concealed at the time? How could such a person possibly know what true marriage is and could thus give true consent to what marriage is.

Or - is it a case that the person became ill (ptsd?) and therefore this became a pathology after marriage? Should this rather be seperation while therapy ensues?

Lots of issues that need to be explored. It is not a simple yes or no question.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

MONDAY - Monday Diary: A day in the life of a priest.TUESDAY - Quote Tuesday: A post of an interesting quote along with various other things sitting on my computer from the past week such as links, polls, pictures, videos, or games.WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY - Thoughts for your consideration either from me or guest bloggers.FRIDAY - Friday Popourri - A grab bag of regular topics from symbolism to vocation stories.